R^: Sight

SPC^: 1/round

D^: S

S^: None

A^: 1 item or creature

Effect: The power of molecular agitation enables the possessor to cause the molecules of an item to move more rapidly than is normal.
Although only a small number of molecules can be so moved,
continued exercise of the ability will have the following effects after 10 rounds:
 
 

Type of Material	Molecular Agitation Effect
paper, parchment, straw	aflame, burning brightly
dry wood, heavy cloth	scorching and smouldering
water, wine	boiling (if a small amount)
flesh	blistering *
metal	hot to touch **

* each round thereafter the victim will sustain 1 hit point of damage, cumulative, 1 that round, 2 the next, 3 the next, etc.

** at this point the effect is the same as the druid spell, heat metal (q.v.).

While the amount of material that the psionic can affect by molecular agitation does not appreciably increase, the time requirement does shorten by 1 round per level of mastery, so that at 10th level and beyond, the molecular agitation effect shown above requires only 1 round to achieve. Note that the item affected must be in the view (clairvoyance included) of the psionic individual.
 

Q: Can molecular agitation be carried out on any visible object, even if seen through a crystal ball, wall of force, by clairvoyance, and so forth?

A: The range of the molecular agitation discipline is 'sight,' but
this means literally and strictly visible, not including objects
seen with the aid of an item that enhances or detects the object's
image when the object cannot normally be seen (whether it's
behind the next door or on a distant deserted island). When
actual (normal, not infra- or ultra-) vision is concerned, the DM
will have to arbitrate what can and cannot be seen at a distance;
for instance, a character could not eyeball the iron buttons on an
orc's jacket at a range of 300 yards.
    A crystal ball or the power of clairvoyance, then, cannot be
used in conjunction with molecular agitation. The employment
of a wall of force will indeed block the use of this discipline, as
will anything similar (such as a cube of force). Objects seen
through non-magical windows, though, can be affected by this
power.
(78.20)
 

Q: Also, if a creature only possesses a small quantity of metal, can it still be burned if this metal is heated?

A: Creatures that have only a small amount of metal on their
'persons' may, at the DM's discretion, take lesser amounts of
damage from this power; if the iron buttons on the orc's jacket
were the only metal items the creature had, perhaps it would
only take 1 hit point of damage per round (at most) until the
jacket was discarded.
(78.20)